This is simply a thread to show the other angles/views of this headunit that one cannot see from looking at the website. My camera's auto focus is possesed, so some of the pics may not be up to par. Found it difficult to take clean shots as they dont do the deck justice , specially the night pics.

The display is an improvement over the last line in terms of the vaccum illuminescent display. Its much more fluid and brighter and exhibits a much better
daytime view than the 8443->8454 models.
Through the E-iserv you can download 'whatever is clever' for the Motion Picture display, although there are 3 simple flowing graphics presets on the deck. Nothing of the sort like a race car or what not is preset on the deck, dunno why they would advertise it that way, i found it a turn off on the site. EVERYTHING is an option, which is good. The display has an off setting as well that only turns on briefly during fuction/operation and turns back off during play.

Also the track/station presets being lined on the bottom allowed for a wider display screen

This is where I feel this new Eclipse is leaps and bounds IMPROVED over the last series. Other than lacking the rubber tipped edge rotary knobs, these are the super precise. If I were to turn the volume fast , the deck responds on pace-dead on-my 8443 would lag and it would be small delay before it could catch up volume wise and it would be ridiculously sensitive and unexpectidly make adjustments for me when i'd rapidly push down to access the NonFader controls. These new knobs are nice and tight, not flimsy or cheap feeling at all.

FINALLY an easy way to locate/reach MUTE button, right on the left side of the volume knob. Same goes for the opposite side when engaged in funtions/dsp the RTN button is conveniently located dead center on side of the rotary knob, nothing in the way to confuse. I've had the deck less than 48hrs and I found myself making adjustments in/out easily, and my fingers glided along naturally.

Adjustability
Non Fader, Bass, MID, Treble controls now have a range of -6....0....+6
MP3/WMA/ memory card- i'm old school and its nothing that interests me, I've never used mp3, so i cannot comment on its use on this deck at the moment. Although the memory card allows for the use of E-iSERV's tuning tools

This deck is a very clean playing and dynamic deck every much so as the elder series. So I found no SQ differences in sound.

SRS-TruBass- simply a surround sound/bass engine similar to those found in the competition. Work quite well and doesnt distort speakers as heavy volume is aplied-nevertheless not my cup of tea. Although with lil' kids in the car, at very low you can jam out and have a nice full sound.

EQ- Gone are the days of 13band graphic EQ's.....now 7 band parametric on normal, 10 band on Pro mode. DSP setup allows for just about every frequency to be tuned. Quite flexible and deep. Tuning capability for 3 and 4way setups

Cons- The trimplate that comes with these eclipse decks has been an issue as far as my metra kit is concerned. I'veinstalled other decks using the same kit and they fit fine- I had to trim the left/right outer edges , because squeezed in was putting pressure on the face, not letting the mechanized face come down for CD insertion. Also dont believe there's a way to FULLY shut off the Sub/Non-fader.

FINAL thoughts:
Love the ergonomics and finally user friendly operation.
Much more tuning capability than my CD8443. It exhibits no audible turn on pops, whether powering the deck from the off , or when turning on from being left on playing(i had no such prob w/ my 8443 BTW, but aware some did). Same crystal clear performance.
It has very little competition in its price range IMO performance/value wise. 8v/55ohm preouts, 24bit DAC's, DSP/tuning galore and a now a responsive/well layed out interface. Looks? ...will always be subjective.I've grown to like the 8455 faster than it took me lo like the 8443.

Manny

Kali77

03-21-2005, 01:58 PM

Great review. Thank you for taking the time to give it and take the pics!!!

Kali

JAZN

03-21-2005, 02:03 PM

doesnt look as bad as i thot it would, based on the eclipse website pix. looks better in car. if u dont mind me asking, whats the price tag?

tRiGgEr

03-21-2005, 02:06 PM

Should add this to the review section also:)

Johnny Drama

03-21-2005, 02:08 PM

Wow, that loos a hell of a lot better then the website. Might I ask what you paid for it? Or what retail is?

req

03-21-2005, 02:09 PM

props on the proper review.

i like the green very much. but i loved the rubber rotary tips even more :(

it dosnt look as bad as it was made out to be at CES. but still a little too expensive for my shallow pockets.

I'll take better quality pics as i'm reading the camera's encyclopedia of a manual to figure out how to use my manual focus, as you can see the pics are over exposed....

meantime, any questions can be answered by the installer and remote operator
http://memimage.cardomain.net/member_images/10/web/466000-466999/466763_252_full.jpg

UndercoverPunk

03-21-2005, 02:53 PM

Any experience with the 8454? If so which is better in your opinion?

6spdcoupe

03-21-2005, 03:55 PM

The MSRP is at $649.

I would have posted pics eventually, but Manny beat me to it.

Sorry Manny you know Ive been busy ;)

Great detailed writeup though.

3.5Max6spd

03-21-2005, 05:27 PM

Sorry Manny you know Ive been busy ;)

sure skippy :p:

unrealii

03-21-2005, 07:02 PM

Wow, that looks a lot better than the pictures on eclipse's website. Thanks for the write up...I was ready to pm you and ask for the differences between that and your 8443.

Anyone know how much the gps unit goes for? That would be my only reasonable motivation to upgrade from my 8454.

3.5Max6spd

03-21-2005, 07:14 PM

Wow, that looks a lot better than the pictures on eclipse's website. Thanks for the write up...I was ready to pm you and ask for the differences between that and your 8443.

Anyone know how much the gps unit goes for? That would be my only reasonable motivation to upgrade from my 8454.

Just to clarify, as some think the GPS is a NAVi of sorts. On these decks you basically use Eclipse's E-iSERV, download directions/map onto CD or memory stick, say you are taking a trip....

The area shot is already included when you get the HU. You just have to download directions and let it know when you make a turn to tell you where to go next. Whereas with the optional GPS antenna it automatically knows that you've made the turn and proceeds to the next direction.

In all honesty, I upgraded from my CD8443 basically just for HD/Sirius ready. It turns out the ergonomics and all the extras made the transition an easy one.
The 8454 is a great deck, other than the GPS, SRS, Sirius and the rest, theres no
performance difference.

unrealii

03-21-2005, 08:09 PM

Thanks for the clarification about the gps. Now I dont feel so obsolete :lol:

I'd love to have sirius. I've gone through countless 3 day trials on their website. You should give mp3 a try. All of my mp3's are ripped from my cds with EAC at 192k, and they sound perfect (with harmonizer setting off). I seriously cannot believe how well these eclipse 8 series decks output mp3's.

3.5Max6spd

03-21-2005, 08:14 PM

Thanks for the clarification about the gps. Now I dont feel so obsolete :lol:

I'd love to have sirius. I've gone through countless 3 day trials on their website. You should give mp3 a try. All of my mp3's are ripped from my cds with EAC at 192k, and they sound perfect (with harmonizer setting off). I seriously cannot believe how well these eclipse 8 series decks output mp3's.

:)nice- gives me incentive to put it to work

JLCivic

03-21-2005, 09:36 PM

Wow, that looks a lot better than the pictures on eclipse's website. Thanks for the write up...I was ready to pm you and ask for the differences between that and your 8443.

Anyone know how much the gps unit goes for? That would be my only reasonable motivation to upgrade from my 8454.
The shop told me that the GPS unit(GPS105) retails for $169(he was pretty sure on that).

LBX2G

03-21-2005, 09:40 PM

at that **** looks like a cockpit in a spaceshuttle.

MS-18

03-21-2005, 09:45 PM

^ Are You An Idiot?

3.5Max6spd

03-21-2005, 10:32 PM

here's a lil info on the Area shot/GPS...
http://www.eclipse-web.com/cd/eiserv1.html

GPS add on- $169
Sirius- $79

6spdcoupe

03-21-2005, 10:47 PM

here's a lil info on the Area shot/GPS...
http://www.eclipse-web.com/cd/eiserv1.html

GPS add on- $169
Sirius- $79

Close, but a little off..

GPS ..$199
Sirius ..$119

;)

6spdcoupe

03-21-2005, 10:47 PM

The shop told me that the GPS unit(GPS105) retails for $169(he was pretty sure on that).

Retail is actually $199

psycho72

03-21-2005, 10:58 PM

:)nice- gives me incentive to put it to work

Yeah but be patient and use EAC, don't follow the urge to use another, quicker ripper because nothing rips like EAC. Although I still like to go higher than 192K. BTW great review, I am fighting over this or the 8053 right now.

Yeah but be patient and use EAC, don't follow the urge to use another, quicker ripper because nothing rips like EAC. Although I still like to go higher than 192K. BTW great review, I am fighting over this or the 8053 right now.

yeah, EAC was recommended by a coworker as well- this stuff is new to me, most mp3's my younger bro's have sound like arse- I'm real curious as to the Mp3 controls/navigation on the unit so now I'm getting the urge to give it a try- Thanks man

LBX2G

03-22-2005, 04:52 PM

^ Are You An Idiot?

no, IF u look at that CD player night time pics. IT looks like a cockpit in a space shuttle.

3.5Max6spd

03-23-2005, 12:15 PM

I just turned down the gains even further on my amps this morning after giving the system some volume i noticed a few things. Music was much harder and stronger at same volume levels of my old deck, specially the sub amp-as I'm now aware of rattles I didn't have before- Leaves me to believe the preouts are a lil' stronger on this deck. By ear, it now sounds as good as it gets- i love this deck.

MS-18

03-23-2005, 12:25 PM

no, IF u look at that CD player night time pics. IT looks like a cockpit in a space shuttle.

No They Don't.

imready77

03-23-2005, 03:20 PM

I want one but i'm poor.

killcrap

03-25-2005, 09:51 AM

anyone know if the sirius adapters are compatible with the 8053 or the 8454?

JLCivic

03-25-2005, 04:48 PM

anyone know if the sirius adapters are compatible with the 8053 or the 8454?

I don't think so, but Eclipse tech support could confirm it(800-233-2216).

6spdcoupe

03-26-2005, 01:35 AM

anyone know if the sirius adapters are compatible with the 8053 or the 8454?

No, they are not

BodegaBay

03-28-2005, 01:43 AM

Thanks for the review and the pictures Manny. I was ready to give up on the 2005 Eclipse's until your photos -- much better looking than their website.

Can I ask you a few questions?

GENERAL QUESTIONS:

I see you have Arc XXK amps. Were there any problems mating the amps to the 8V Eclipse? I believe Arc is limited to 2.5V, can accept 4V, but I wasn't so sure about 8V.
Are you running your front components in 2-way or 3-way config?
What mode do you use? Normal or Pro?
Have you tried the Circle Suround mode? I believe it's only accessible when the PRO mode is OFF.
Is the internal amplifier defeatable?

PRO MODE QUESTIONS:

What is the min crossover frequency allowable for the FRONT RCA's HIGH PASS? That is to say, how low a frequency will the Pro Mode allow the front channels to go down to? The 8053/8443 only allowed it to go down to something like ~320Hz.
Can you double confirm that the crossover slopes of 24dB is allowed for all channels: Front, Rears, and Sub?

NORMAL MODE QUESTIONS:

Are the crossover available in 24dB or is it only limited to 12db? The 8053/8443 limited it to 12dB.

I have compared the small differences between the 8445vs. 8455. Other than the 7 band P-EQ and different modes (the 8445 has "Advance" and "Normal" modes while the 8455 has the "Pro" and "Normal" modes), I'm not seeing much differences.

Thanks again for your time.

3.5Max6spd

03-28-2005, 09:52 AM

Thanks for the review and the pictures Manny. I was ready to give up on the 2005 Eclipse's until your photos -- much better looking than their website.

Can I ask you a few questions?

GENERAL QUESTIONS:

I see you have Arc XXK amps. Were there any problems mating the amps to the 8V Eclipse? I believe Arc is limited to 2.5V, can accept 4V, but I wasn't so sure about 8V.
Are you running your front components in 2-way or 3-way config?
What mode do you use? Normal or Pro?
Have you tried the Circle Suround mode? I believe it's only accessible when the PRO mode is OFF.
Is the internal amplifier defeatable?

PRO MODE QUESTIONS:

What is the min crossover frequency allowable for the FRONT RCA's HIGH PASS? That is to say, how low a frequency will the Pro Mode allow the front channels to go down to? The 8053/8443 only allowed it to go down to something like ~320Hz.
Can you double confirm that the crossover slopes of 24dB is allowed for all channels: Front, Rears, and Sub?

NORMAL MODE QUESTIONS:

Are the crossover available in 24dB or is it only limited to 12db? The 8053/8443 limited it to 12dB.

I have compared the small differences between the 8445vs. 8455. Other than the 7 band P-EQ and different modes (the 8445 has "Advance" and "Normal" modes while the 8455 has the "Pro" and "Normal" modes), I'm not seeing much differences.

Thanks again for your time.

Arc amps- in no way, shape, or form are they limited to 2.5v- their sensitivity is rated "2.5v @1khz" -its a scenario you'lll never see- many dont know how to read these specs and assume they cannot take higher voltage- heck Arc processors and EQ's have between 8v balanced and up to 9v rms capability- why would they make these if their amps coudn't handle it? All this means is i'm getting full rated power with much lower gains. I had no issue w/my 8443 nor this 8455 and I've applied a good 85-90% volume w/ no clipping and although ear deafning levels, it remains crystal clear :)

Ok here we go....

Non pro AND PRO MODE have 6db/12db/18db/24db slope selections

Non Fader output has a STEREO or Monoaural selection

CSII- is only available on basic mode- has a LOW or HI, OFF setting

PRO MODE PEQ

the lowest for each band are as follows-

Band 1(F/R) 63hz
Band 2(F/R) 80hz
Band 3(F/R) 100hz
Band 4(F/R) 200hz
Band 5(F/R)250hz

I dont have much use for the PEQ, as I didn't use it much either with the 8443- dunno if its due to my tweet placement- but i dont suffer much from reflections or feel the need to boost/cut - I'm getting very true to the source flat response.
So I've been going back and forth between Basic/Pro as i feel like. In Pro mode you have Bass/Mid/ Trebble controls so they pretty much take care what I need to on the fly.

I'm currently running a 2way passive set as I'm working on adding a set of midbasses to the existing set Via a piggyback passive X'over- these 6.5" mids will be playing midbass in conjunction with my primary mid from 80hz up its smooth rolloff at 220hz....Not a traditional 3way, but called a Dual woofer system by Rainbow- its supposed to give a 6db increase in that freq range

There is no way to defeat the internal amp- although Eclipse decks dont suffer from it SQ wise as other decks do. IMO its a non-issue.

BodegaBay

03-28-2005, 02:48 PM

Manny,

Many thanks for answering all my questions. From your responses, it would seem Eclipse have made their upper end units a lot more flexible with the crossover frequencies and slopes in both BASIC and PRO modes. If you will remember, the 8443 (and thus 8053) limited the BASIC mode to just 12db x-over slope. It also limited the PRO mode to only ~320Hz for the front channels; this severely limited the bass output on front channels -- your note below shows the front channels can now go down to 63Hz!

I am pleasantly surprised with these change because I was looking at the Alpine 9835/9855 for greater flexibility than the 8443. I guess I won't have to go back to Alpine afterall.

A final question -- have you tried the CSII? How does it sound?

P.S. Thanks also for the technical explanation for the Arc's input voltage issue.

3.5Max6spd

03-28-2005, 03:09 PM

Manny,

Many thanks for answering all my questions. From your responses, it would seem Eclipse have made their upper end units a lot more flexible with the crossover frequencies and slopes in both BASIC and PRO modes. If you will remember, the 8443 (and thus 8053) limited the BASIC mode to just 12db x-over slope. It also limited the PRO mode to only ~320Hz for the front channels; this severely limited the bass output on front channels -- your note below shows the front channels can now go down to 63Hz!

I am pleasantly surprised with these change because I was looking at the Alpine 9835/9855 for greater flexibility than the 8443. I guess I won't have to go back to Alpine afterall.

A final question -- have you tried the CSII? How does it sound?

P.S. Thanks also for the technical explanation for the Arc's input voltage issue.

Oh yes....much improved as well as the ergo's - the only reason I had to let go of my 8443, I loved that unit. It showed me I truly got my $$'s worth buying an Eclipse.

The CSII is cool- I have no rear fill in my car so its hard to give you a detailed explanation- but when engaged it has CSII Trubass icon goes on- so it does boost
in the sense of your typical bass engine feature at low volume. Its meant more for a surround sound feature, so if you video i your car its a cool thing.

BodegaBay

03-29-2005, 01:40 AM

Well I visited the Good Guys tonight and they actually had one unit in. Since I have bought a lot of gear with them in the past, I was able to deal it down to $599 + free install. Of course I wanted to install it myself and was hoping to get the extra warranty with Eclipse. But I was surprised to see the warranty card saying that it was only 1 year mfg. warranty. This is curious as I thought Eclipse's warranty was 3 years. Perhaps they changed it for 2005?

I was hoping to also buy the Sirius SIR-ECL1 as well but it wasn't even in the system yet. Too bad because I wanted to see the price. Manny -- you noted that the Sirius unit cost $79 -- can you tell me if that was a preferred pricing? What's the MSRP? The Sirius website shows it's $99.99 but I'm not sure how correct the info is.

I did peruse through the manual and read up all the features. This is one heck of a feature rich unit with flexibility to boot. One feature that caught my eye is the the supplied microphone for the P-EQ feature; this can be potentially be very useful if it can actually help with the peaks and dips in the car. I am heavily into home theater so it was a nice suprise to see that someone was actually incorporating Auto-EQ into mobile audio!

Biolite (and perhaps Glide-Touch) feature(s) aside from the upcoming Alpine 9855, I feel that the Eclipse 8455 has much more useful features with finally giving a lot of flexibility in the crossover freq and slopes that were missing from previous units. I'm still undecided about the new look until I fire it up but I can say it is much better looking than Eclipse website. The rubber rotary is missed and the new rotary silver trim ring looks to be real machined metal vs. plastic -- a nice touch.

JLCivic

03-29-2005, 07:19 AM

Well I visited the Good Guys tonight and they actually had one unit in. Since I have bought a lot of gear with them in the past, I was able to deal it down to $599 + free install. Of course I wanted to install it myself and was hoping to get the extra warranty with Eclipse. But I was surprised to see the warranty card saying that it was only 1 year mfg. warranty. This is curious as I thought Eclipse's warranty was 3 years. Perhaps they changed it for 2005?

I was hoping to also buy the Sirius SIR-ECL1 as well but it wasn't even in the system yet. Too bad because I wanted to see the price. Manny -- you noted that the Sirius unit cost $79 -- can you tell me if that was a preferred pricing? What's the MSRP? The Sirius website shows it's $99.99 but I'm not sure how correct the info is.

I did peruse through the manual and read up all the features. This is one heck of a feature rich unit with flexibility to boot. One feature that caught my eye is the the supplied microphone for the P-EQ feature; this can be potentially be very useful if it can actually help with the peaks and dips in the car. I am heavily into home theater so it was a nice suprise to see that someone was actually incorporating Auto-EQ into mobile audio!

Biolite (and perhaps Glide-Touch) feature(s) aside from the upcoming Alpine 9855, I feel that the Eclipse 8455 has much more useful features with finally giving a lot of flexibility in the crossover freq and slopes that were missing from previous units. I'm still undecided about the new look until I fire it up but I can say it is much better looking than Eclipse website. The rubber rotary is missed and the new rotary silver trim ring looks to be real machined metal vs. plastic -- a nice touch.

I believe the warranty card has said 1 year for quite some time, but if dealer installed, and you send in the card, it is 3 years.

6spdcoupe

03-29-2005, 09:56 AM

Like JLCivic said it is 3 years if dealer installed. Otherwise its only the one year like the card states.

The Sirius tuners came in about a week ago for me, the MSRP is $119

3.5Max6spd

03-29-2005, 10:49 AM

Well I visited the Good Guys tonight and they actually had one unit in. Since I have bought a lot of gear with them in the past, I was able to deal it down to $599 + free install. Of course I wanted to install it myself and was hoping to get the extra warranty with Eclipse. But I was surprised to see the warranty card saying that it was only 1 year mfg. warranty. This is curious as I thought Eclipse's warranty was 3 years. Perhaps they changed it for 2005?

I was hoping to also buy the Sirius SIR-ECL1 as well but it wasn't even in the system yet. Too bad because I wanted to see the price. Manny -- you noted that the Sirius unit cost $79 -- can you tell me if that was a preferred pricing? What's the MSRP? The Sirius website shows it's $99.99 but I'm not sure how correct the info is.

I did peruse through the manual and read up all the features. This is one heck of a feature rich unit with flexibility to boot. One feature that caught my eye is the the supplied microphone for the P-EQ feature; this can be potentially be very useful if it can actually help with the peaks and dips in the car. I am heavily into home theater so it was a nice suprise to see that someone was actually incorporating Auto-EQ into mobile audio!

Biolite (and perhaps Glide-Touch) feature(s) aside from the upcoming Alpine 9855, I feel that the Eclipse 8455 has much more useful features with finally giving a lot of flexibility in the crossover freq and slopes that were missing from previous units. I'm still undecided about the new look until I fire it up but I can say it is much better looking than Eclipse website. The rubber rotary is missed and the new rotary silver trim ring looks to be real machined metal vs. plastic -- a nice touch.

Nice- I'm very curious as to your USER review. Please post, I'm curious as to your feelings on the unit.

If the place you bought it from is an authorized Eclipse dealer, and they installed it your warranty is good for 3yrs.

BodegaBay

03-29-2005, 02:17 PM

Thanks guys for the warranty and Sirius confirmation.

I looked at my Warranty Card from the older 8443 and it said 1yr as well. And as I recalled, it is indeed 3yrs. if dealer installed. Good Guys is a fairly large A/V chain in Western US is indeed an authorized dealer. The manager gave me free install on the receipt for proof of install for warranty purposes.

I am curious of something else with the new units from last and current years. I know the manual states that only a Memory Stick (or Duo with adapter) up to 128MB can be used. Has anyone here tested if a higher capacitry MS can also be used? May consumer electronics states they can only read up to a certain amount of flash memory only to be proved incorrect by everyday users so I'm curious of the Eclipse can read a higher capacity MS.

I'll take better quality pics as i'm reading the camera's encyclopedia of a manual to figure out how to use my manual focus, as you can see the pics are over exposed....

meantime, any questions can be answered by the installer and remote operator
http://memimage.cardomain.net/member_images/10/web/466000-466999/466763_252_full.jpg
do you feel safe posting pics of your...online...im sure if i had some i wouldnt...

3.5Max6spd

03-29-2005, 03:19 PM

do you feel safe posting pics of your...online...im sure if i had some i wouldnt...

if she still looked like that....shes changing by the day- anyways thanks for assuring me this world is filled with sick mofo's :uhoh:

imready77

03-30-2005, 09:53 AM

if she still looked like that....shes changing by the day- anyways thanks for assuring me this world is filled with sick mofo's :uhoh:

do you know how much th 8445 cost and, what are all the differences between the CD8445 and CD8455?

Zombietime

03-30-2005, 01:37 PM

if she still looked like that....shes changing by the day- anyways thanks for assuring me this world is filled with sick mofo's :uhoh:

Yah if you don't want to see pics of sick things done to your kid, you shouldn't post a pic on a public forum.

Speedyd718

03-30-2005, 03:35 PM

hey manny thanks for the great review. i was so good that i replaced my pioneer 960 with this and i am simply amazed at the difference in sq. i love the eclipse deck. alot less gimmicky than the pioneer but all out on the sq. i can't wait to see what all i can do with the eq mic, 10band parametric eq, time alignment, and e-iserv. the memory stick idea is a nice touch too. don't hesitate here guys this deck is the *****.

3.5Max6spd

03-30-2005, 03:45 PM

hey manny thanks for the great review. i was so good that i replaced my pioneer 960 with this and i am simply amazed at the difference in sq. i love the eclipse deck. alot less gimmicky than the pioneer but all out on the sq. i can't wait to see what all i can do with the eq mic, 10band parametric eq, time alignment, and e-iserv. the memory stick idea is a nice touch too. don't hesitate here guys this deck is the *****.

Haha...I'm not alone in this world :D
I did not install my Eq mic, but I will soon.- With the EIserv I dunno where to begin...

And let me tell you the 960 is a good deck, glad to see you could take a walk on the other side and experience the difference. Good luck with it and thanks.

imready77

03-30-2005, 06:06 PM

everytime I see your pics I want that deck more and more. I'll be saving to get the 8445. Thansk for the review.

ngsm13

03-30-2005, 06:19 PM

Haha...I'm not alone in this world :D
I did not install my Eq mic, but I will soon.- With the EIserv I dunno where to begin...

And let me tell you the 960 is a good deck, glad to see you could take a walk on the other side and experience the difference. Good luck with it and thanks.

Yup, I was about to post about Dave's new purchase. The 960's pre-outs actually just up and went to **** on him...he showed up with the brand new eclipse! I was surprised and amazed...glad to see he likes it...and I like the looks of it as well. I owned a 8053 w/ balanced out adapter! Loved it, but sold it for a good profit and went other ways! peace

NG

PS: any clue on how to adjust the non-fader out...I knew on my 8053 it had to be on...normal mode i think? Any-ways, we couldn't adjust it when I was setting his gains for his sub amp...

3.5Max6spd

03-30-2005, 06:30 PM

Yup, I was about to post about Dave's new purchase. The 960's pre-outs actually just up and went to **** on him...he showed up with the brand new eclipse! I was surprised and amazed...glad to see he likes it...and I like the looks of it as well. I owned a 8053 w/ balanced out adapter! Loved it, but sold it for a good profit and went other ways! peace

NG

PS: any clue on how to adjust the non-fader out...I knew on my 8053 it had to be on...normal mode i think? Any-ways, we couldn't adjust it when I was setting his gains for his sub amp...

On reg/non-pro mode theres a Non-fader controls in the menu under the 1st rotary- on Pro mode the BASS controls work to that effect, as there's a MID/ TREBBLE adjustments for the other FREQ's

unrealii

03-30-2005, 07:56 PM

You also can knock off a few db's in the time alignment menu. Other than that, I think thats about it.

Manny, have you tried eiserv? Dunno, my mic ***** at picking up the sound. Maybe because I have a 4 sp + 1 sub instead of a 6 sp front system that the deck is expecting.

BodegaBay

03-30-2005, 08:57 PM

Dunno, my mic ***** at picking up the sound. Maybe because I have a 4 sp + 1 sub instead of a 6 sp front system that the deck is expecting.

The more I look at the mic (does not look solid), the more I feel it to be a trival add on vs. a true attempt for Auto-EQ. That said, I will invest on a quality Behringer mic coupled with RTA software, install through my laptop and manually adjust the deck's P-EQ to compensate for any dip/peaks.

adam71

03-31-2005, 02:25 PM

In the daytime pics it kind of looks like a billboard. :D

99StangGt

04-01-2005, 10:25 AM

I have a pioneer 860mp now. i use to have a eclipse 8454 till i tryed something new. now i wish i would have stayed with the eclipse. has anyone used the 8053 with a commander to play mp3? I have a old 5423 that im going to put back in to compare SQ with the pioneer unit. most likely ill be buying another eclipse im thinking.

so manny, if your just using the deck to listen to cd`s is it worth it to go to the 8455 from the 8454? by the way im the one you emailed from elite forum about best HU for SQ

3.5Max6spd

04-01-2005, 05:20 PM

so manny, if your just using the deck to listen to cd`s is it worth it to go to the 8455 from the 8454? by the way im the one you emailed from elite forum about best HU for SQ

If i had an 8454 I'd have a hard time deciding on it- deck plays mp3's and had Eiserv/memory card- My 8443 was not as loaded as the 8454 howerver. So all these things plus the Sirius ready was enough for me to make a move to keep up with the times. And the more friendly ergo's of the new units was a bonus.

CJandMJsMatrix

04-06-2005, 12:35 AM

ill too will be joining the 8555 club. going from an 8443 (going back to raamaudio) -> 8454 -> 8455 :D

thanks for the great review and pics! ;)

Hoot

04-14-2005, 01:12 AM

Hey, those are great points and slope options for the 8455's crossover, but what about the 8445? Anyone know how it compares and can spell out all of it's crossover options (points and slopes for each the front, rear, and sub channels)?

unrealii

04-14-2005, 02:25 AM

Hey, those are great points and slope options for the 8455's crossover, but what about the 8445? Anyone know how it compares and can spell out all of it's crossover options (points and slopes for each the front, rear, and sub channels)?
They should be the same. I believe my 8454 has those same points and slopes. The difference is in other features.

adam71

04-14-2005, 04:14 AM

Isn't the 8053 the last Eclipse head unit that did NOT have an internal amp?? :cool:

3.5Max6spd

04-14-2005, 09:10 AM

Isn't the 8053 the last Eclipse head unit that did NOT have an internal amp?? :cool:

yes

although there are no SQ differences between the 8443/8053 out of the box aside the option for the BLA which 98% of users never used

Hoot

04-14-2005, 11:37 PM

They should be the same. I believe my 8454 has those same points and slopes. The difference is in other features.Thanks for the post, but they are not the same so I have been told. I started up another thread for anyone interested in, or knowledgable about, this topic: http://forums.caraudio.com/vb/showthread.php?p=854274#post854274

squeak9798

04-14-2005, 11:41 PM

Well, I went down to my local dealer the other day and checked these out. I must say; They look much better in person than they did in the pics I've seen thus far. I actually kinda liked them (after seeing them in person)...the pics just made them look cheesy.

xdavieexx

04-16-2005, 03:27 PM

Tell me the ease of sorting through Mp3's while driving, if you've tried mp3 already. Im planning to get one very soon

adam71

04-16-2005, 03:58 PM

yes

although there are no SQ differences between the 8443/8053 out of the box aside the option for the BLA which 98% of users never used

Kind of weird deal about that deck. The 8053 that is. I mean it had the "right stuff" so to speak. I mean, no internal amp dissipating unwanted extra heat, balanced line for excellent signal tansfer, and yet no one really used it to its fullest potential. :( Thats just an awful shame in my opinion.

Adam

xdavieexx

04-17-2005, 08:25 PM

someone tell me about the mp3 on this deck. IS it easy to find files, is the deck picky on certain type of cds, and formate its displayed like?

3.5Max6spd

04-18-2005, 10:34 AM

Kind of weird deal about that deck. The 8053 that is. I mean it had the "right stuff" so to speak. I mean, no internal amp dissipating unwanted extra heat, balanced line for excellent signal tansfer, and yet no one really used it to its fullest potential. :( Thats just an awful shame in my opinion.

Adam

Well if you head over to the Zapco forums there are some that ran it-the actual people that can put that BLA to actual use with amps that can take it

Greg200SE-R

04-28-2005, 05:28 AM

The more I look at the mic (does not look solid), the more I feel it to be a trival add on vs. a true attempt for Auto-EQ. That said, I will invest on a quality Behringer mic coupled with RTA software, install through my laptop and manually adjust the deck's P-EQ to compensate for any dip/peaks.

This is my very first post on this site, and I registered specifically to coax some more info from you guys on the 8455! I would use it in 3-way config and was hoping you experts can help me out with some Qs:

1) How did the included microphone and auto-eq end up working for you guys? Did you like final results? I am very interested in this particular feature since setting a parametric by ear can be a daunting, if not impossible, process to get right!

2) However, time correction is my top priority right now. Can the mic and e-iserv automatically adjust time correction for each midbass/tweeter in a bi-amped component setup? I would prefer an electronic analysis much more than trial and error by ear. If not, how difficult is it to manualy get the time delay spot-on using whatever method Eclipse provides?

3) Has anyone used an Alpine PXA-H700/701 outboard processor? I am intrigued by its auto time correction but it does not do auto eq. If so, please compare.

Thank you for your time. Great comments on this Eclipse, guys. I know *almost* everything I need to know about it before plunking down my hard-earned $$ for a 8455. Any info would help, thanks in advance!

NT2003

07-14-2005, 01:05 PM

Well if you head over to the Zapco forums there are some that ran it-the actual people that can put that BLA to actual use with amps that can take it

Hi,

I have just got myself an Eclipse CD 8455 head unit & I have to admit that it sounds really great compared to other competitive models. But I find an important feature lacking compared to other head units of this class. Or is there something which I have left out?

I am using a 3-Way (High, Mid, Sub) setup in the Pro Mode configuration. How can I adjust the gain level of my Tweeter, Mid Driver & Sub Woofer through the head unit without the need to go in & out of my rear boot to adjust the gain of each individual amplifier which is driving their respective speakers? I really find this process very tedious and extremely inconvenient in my tuning process.

I certainly that it is not the limitation of this head unit. Would appreciate your advise since you are experienced in using the 8455.

Thanks.

3.5Max6spd

07-14-2005, 02:27 PM

Hi,

I have just got myself an Eclipse CD 8455 head unit & I have to admit that it sounds really great compared to other competitive models. But I find an important feature lacking compared to other head units of this class. Or is there something which I have left out?

I am using a 3-Way (High, Mid, Sub) setup in the Pro Mode configuration. How can I adjust the gain level of my Tweeter, Mid Driver & Sub Woofer through the head unit without the need to go in & out of my rear boot to adjust the gain of each individual amplifier which is driving their respective speakers? I really find this process very tedious and extremely inconvenient in my tuning process.

I certainly that it is not the limitation of this head unit. Would appreciate your advise since you are experienced in using the 8455.

Thanks.

The unit does not have full individual gain control over the ampliers- but the bass, mid , treble adjustments under the volume rotary knob in Pro mode work to some effect for the individual channels once the amps gains have been set accordingly. You should setup an amps gain stage regardless, not expecting your HU do so for you- think of it this way...the HU controls the audio signal strength to the amplifier when it has such gain controls....it does NOT however control overall the amps gains- it will control UP TO where the gains are set in other words.

The drz9255 is the only HU that I know of that has such individual ch gain controls...then again $1399>$650

I know Alpine models can do so also but when driving Alpine amplifiers

Greg200SE-R

07-14-2005, 03:08 PM

Hi,

I have just got myself an Eclipse CD 8455 head unit & I have to admit that it sounds really great compared to other competitive models. But I find an important feature lacking compared to other head units of this class. Or is there something which I have left out?

I am using a 3-Way (High, Mid, Sub) setup in the Pro Mode configuration. How can I adjust the gain level of my Tweeter, Mid Driver & Sub Woofer through the head unit without the need to go in & out of my rear boot to adjust the gain of each individual amplifier which is driving their respective speakers? I really find this process very tedious and extremely inconvenient in my tuning process.

I certainly that it is not the limitation of this head unit. Would appreciate your advise since you are experienced in using the 8455.

Thanks.

If you go into the time correction screen, use the up/down buttons (on the far right side of the face) to adjust individual levels. This is for fine tuning only, and is assuming your amp gains are already set.

From a SQ standpoint, a good place to start when setting levels is to zero out all tone controls on the HU (loudness is on by default), all bass controls on your amps, etc. Then adjust your gains till you get a nice transition between the speakers. Then, take a drive and re-adjust if needed according to road noise. This is assuming you have your crossover points/slopes set already. Now, you can do all fine-tuning from the deck as mentioned above. I have messed around A LOT with the CD8455s crossover and time alignment, and have come up with a few rule-of-thumb methods to tuning it. It can do wonders for your imaging and tonal balance.

joshpoints

07-15-2005, 10:24 AM

props on the proper review.

i like the green very much. but i loved the rubber rotary tips even more :(

it dosnt look as bad as it was made out to be at CES. but still a little too expensive for my shallow pockets.

Yeah I believe I saw it on ebay for $500 or $550. Way more than I have ever spent on a deck. I'm sure I'd get it ripped off in my area with in a few months.

NT2003

07-15-2005, 11:49 AM

Thanks 3.5Max6spd & Greg200SE-R for the advises. At least the time align menu allows me to fine-tune the respective gains.

xravexboix

07-18-2005, 07:54 PM

I have the 8454 and can't justify buying the 8455 lol ! The unit has a more mainstream aftermarket look, a few extra features (more accurate knobs are awesome!), and little other things (area shot, Sirius capable, HD Radio capable, etc)... but there's no true advacements huh?

I'm running in PRO right now (passive w/ crappy soundstage, plan to rewire soon) and it seems that it's identical in the 8455. I'll be getting an IS 350 in a few months (to remain w/ OEM Mark Levinson) so I'll have Sirius ready to go for freeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee(our company owns TONS of Sirius stock) =]

Anyone have that one PRO that will push me over to getting this?

3.5Max6spd

07-25-2005, 01:59 PM

Thanks 3.5Max6spd & Greg200SE-R for the advises. At least the time align menu allows me to fine-tune the respective gains.

You can completly cut of the subs using the TA if necessary

MegaHurtz

09-15-2005, 07:17 PM

Has anybody checked out whether or not the memory stick duo w/adapter will work with the CD8445/CD8455?

Also, does the Cd8445 have an auto-eq feature (assuming I can get my hands on a mic)?

BodegaBay

09-15-2005, 08:09 PM

I too wonder about the memory stick adapter and memory limitations. The manual may say that it's can only read up to 128MB of Regular Memory Stick but many times hardware can overcome reading flash memory limitations.

kenstewart

04-23-2006, 10:42 PM

I know this is an older post, but I recently bought an 8445 and wondering about the memory stick questions concerning the memory limitations and duo pro. Any takers?

pjm2211

04-23-2006, 11:47 PM

I am wondering the same...don't want to buy a huge memory stick and have it not work.